Women’s Stories on Hemorrhagic Stroke Empowering
(May 31, 2007 --Thunder Bay, ON) A new book by Sociology Professor Sharon Dale Stone sheds light on how women experience hemorrhagic stroke.
A Change of Plans - Women's Stories of Hemorrhagic Stroke is a collection of eleven narratives by women who experienced hemorrhagic strokes before the age of 50. The author herself experienced a stroke as a young girl. It came on suddenly and the symptoms were misdiagnosed. Who would think that an eleven-year-old girl would be having a brain aneurysm?
As she grew into adulthood, the author thought deeply about the silence that had surrounded her experience and the psychic trauma she wasn't allowed to talk about. In the 1990s, she happened upon an article written by a woman who had suffered a hemorrhagic stroke at the age of 24, and for the first time she felt less isolated in her experience. With her new awareness that there were others like her, she embarked upon a journey through Canada , the U.S. , England , and Scotland to find and publish their stories.
"I hope that these stories will be empowering for women survivors of stroke," says Dr. Sharon Dale Stone. " I feel confident that many women who have survived a stroke and been left with impairments will find something in these women's stories that will resonate with their own experiences."
The book opens with a background discussion of hemorrhagic stroke and the disabling consequences that follow. The women's stories are told honestly and movingly, and touch on the themes of recovery and rehabilitation; being a medical patient; self-image; being or not being recognized as disabled; relations with family, friends and co-workers; and how the stroke so suddenly changed their lives.
A Change of Plans is invaluable reading for professionals working with stroke survivors and for survivors who are looking for others with similar experiences. It is a long overdue contribution to the scarce literature on how women experience this disability.
The book is being launched at Lakehead University on Thursday, May 31, 2007. It is published by Sumach Press and is available for purchase at the Lakehead University Alumni Bookstore at a cost of $26.95.
About the Author: Dr. Sharon Dale Stone is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology at Lakehead University . As an activist and academic, she is committed to giving voice to groups of people whose experiences are marginalized in mainstream society, and has published widely on the many issues facing women with disabilities.
Media: Sharon Dale Stone may be contacted for an interview at (807) 622-8316.
If you have any questions regarding this media release, please call Frances Harding, Editor, Publications, Lakehead University , (807) 343-8193 email: frances.harding@lakeheadu.ca.
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About Lakehead
Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in Thunder Bay , Ontario and a campus in Orillia , Ontario , Lakehead has over 7,700 students and 2,250 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named Lakehead University Canada 's Research University of the Year in the undergraduate category. For more information on Lakehead University , visit www.lakeheadu.ca.